By Chance

Chapter 23 - You make me strong

„My god, I’m so beat!” Perrie groaned. „Yeah me too - who knew shopping could be so exhausting?” Tessa replied. „My arms feel so heavy,” Perrie continued - Tessa smilingly added: „It’s not your arms, it’s the bags filled with your new clothes stupid”.  „Well I really needed something to wear - there is literally nothing in my closet that I want to wear anymore! But we should get going if we don’t want to miss out on the boys’ recording,” Perrie answered and arm in arm they avoided the paparazzi and drove straight to the recording studio.

When Tessa and Perrie arrived at the recording studio they hurried inside. When they entered the room the boys were using for recording they greeted all of the boys. Niall, Zayn, Louis and Liam were all sitting outside the audio box, just chilling, while Harry was inside recording. Perrie happily pecked her fiancé on the lips before he pulled her down on his lap - they both looked so in love. Tessa grabbed a chair and focused on Harry in the audio box - she quickly recognized the song as ‘strong’. As he sang the chorus she felt her chest tighten and the butterflies erupt. She was confused by how another person just because of his presence could make her feel so happy, and so right. She hadn’t known him for that long but this didn’t scare her - because she knew despite of Mike that some people could be trusted, and she was starting to believe that love actually existed again.

„I'm sorry if I say: I need you.

But I don't care,

I'm not scared of love.

'Cause when I'm not with you I'm weaker.

Is that so wrong?

Is it so wrong

That you make me strong?”

While Harry was singing he kept focusing on Tessa. She made his heart flutter and everything about her just felt right. The words he was singing fitted Tessa so well, she really did make him strong; when she help him getting over Taylor, the nights she had awoken him from his nightmares and just by being there for him, making him believe in himself. He wouldn’t know what to do without her.

„I’m so happy you made it love,” Harry whispered in Tessa’s ear as he lightly kissed her on the lips, while all of the boys were wolf whistling. Tessa’s blushed because of the nickname he used, and she wasn’t a fan of PDA - but around Harry she almost didn’t care. When he got behind her and put his arms around her waist all she could think about was his fingers drawing circles on her hips. It gave here even bigger butterflies. Apparently this was the last song they had to record today - and Harry had been the first to finish - so he was free to go now. Harry was stressed about the upcoming tour and the press from the media and management. He rested his head on Tessa’s shoulder. „Are you okay Hazza?” She asked concerned. „Yeah of course, just tired babe. How about the two of us gets some takeaway, go home and just lay in bed the rest of the day watching movies?” He asked and nuzzled closer to her neck ignoring the boys and their genuine smiles - he knew they were so happy he found someone like Tessa, well not just someone like her but her exactly. That’s why he hadn’t told them about his deal with management - well Louis of course had figured out something was wrong so he had explained him the deal without details, and he knew Louis was right about it being necessary to tell Tessa - but he didn’t want to ruin anything - she meant to much to him to risk it.

An hour and a half later Harry was lying alone in his bed just wearing his adidas sweatpants - full of pizza and tired from a long eventful day. Harry and Tessa had run by PizzaHut and when they had eaten they had agreed on meeting in his room after they both had showered. Harry had gotten out of the shower some time ago, and he was now debating how to tell Tessa the truth - he knew he couldn’t keep it hidden anymore - not when he was going to declare something else to her as well. Harry was pulled away from his thoughts when he heard a soft knock on his door. „Come in my love,” he answered, and Tessa stuck her head inside - „What would you have door if it had been one of the guys?” She asked giggling. „Well I thought it would have been one of them,” he joked and winked at her. She just shook her head and opened the door fully. „I’m bringing gifts,” she smiled and put the bowl of popcorn and the two cokes down on his nightstand, even though Harry had a smug smile on his face he wasn’t focusing on that - he was focusing on Tessa’s clothes, or lack of it. Her platinum blond hair was still wet and hanging loose down her back and her long legs were bare - his smile was caused by the fact that Tessa, his Tessa, was only wearing the t-shirt she had borrowed of him the night of the party, it stopped at her mid-thigh and Harry considered giving her every t-shirt he owned, simply because she looked so sexy in it. Harry grabbed her wrist and pulled her down upon himself. „Harry!” She screamed but couldn’t help laughing. He teasingly kissed almost every ounce of her face and she hit him with a pillow, almost knocking the bowl of popcorn over. „Sorry,” she whispered and sent him an innocent smile. „What do you want to watch?” He asked and flipped through the channels. „Oh let’s watch LOL, pleeeease?” Tessa begged and of course Harry couldn’t say no to those puppydog-eyes, so just started the movie and pulled Tessa into bed.

A half hour into the movie Kyle and Lola was chatting on Facebook, but neither Harry nor Tessa was focusing on this. Harry had noticed how Tessa’s heartbeat had slowed down short into the movie - and he couldn’t help chuckled by the way she fighter to keep her eyes open. The only thing that made him know for sure that she wasn’t sleeping was because her fingers were tracing the tattoos on his bare chest. Her head was rested on his shoulder while her fingers sent electricity throughout his entire body. Tessa made his heart feel lighter, and in that second he knew the time was right to tell her everything. „Tess, I need to tell you something,” he whispered in her ear sending shivers down her spine. „Tess?” He repeated, and there was still no answer. He turned his heard and noticed her eyes were already closed, she was sleeping. „I’ll tell you tomorrow then love,” he whispered and gently kissed her forehead, which made her nuzzle even closer to him. This night Harry didn’t have any nightmares.